Friday, April 24, 2015

My Last Day of Middle School

Today is my last day at the middle school I am subbing at. I have been here almost 3 months! Eric asked me last night if I would be sad leaving today. Honestly, part of me is and part of me isn't. The thing about subbing is it's not your "real job." It's someone else's office or classroom, they aren't your kids, you follow someone else's plans, etc. Being a substitute is great because of the flexibility and not having to worry about writing lesson plans, but it's also hard because it's so temporary. At least for me this is how it feels.

I have come to know a lot of kids at the middle school, and I know I will often wonder how they are doing. I have bonded with one kid in particular who just experienced a significant loss in his life. Talking with him takes me back to my 14 year old self when my brother just died. I will miss him and our chats. And I will always wonder if a certain visitor to my office will graduate high school or not.

As for 6th grade girl drama, I will not miss that, ha! Actually, all the drama makes me sad because at some point in their life they have been failed big time by someone who cared about them. A lot of the drama comes from hurt and anger, and not knowing how to deal with those emotions.

Working in a middle school whether you are a full time staff member or substitute takes a lot out of you. I think middle school is tough. Teachers deal with a lot, and so do students. It's a huge transition for everyone. You plant a lot of seeds in middle school and you never know what type of fruit you will produce.

I am already booked to sub next week, too. There goes my dream of some time off! But next week I am back with elementary students, which is more my cup of tea.

Subbing at the middle school level has been a huge blessing, learning experience, and great opportunity for me. I am incredibly thankful for my time here, and also I am excited to sleep in a little later, too. Middle school starts so early!

3 comments:

I know exactly what you are talking about. I subbed for a while too. Kindergarten was the worst for me, and middle school was first runner up. Being a substitute is tough because all of the students feel like it's a day for them to slack off and take advantage of you. I bounced around a lot though so I never got to know any of the students or the routines. It sounds like you have had things under control though.